Victoria Mason Photography BLOG

Have a great weekend, everyone!

2012-01-28T21:08:00.001-05:00

Awesome Abby Updike!!!

Bridal Show 2012!!!!!

2012-01-24T13:32:00.000-05:00

I was so happy to see so many brides at the Pink Show! Congrats to the brides that booked with me!
As a reminder & a small cheat sheet, here are the pictures of some booths. Just in case you tried a cake or food & don't remember who it was, I got a couple of pictures. Unfortunately, I couldn't photograph everyone. We got so busy that I didn't have a minute to run around. But hey! Something is better than nothing!

Well, here's us - me and Angela R my dedicated helper & a wonderful make up artist.

Now some vendor info to help you out to plan your big day!!!

Dresses!!!!!

Monica's
147 N. Market St
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 752-0072
Website

Boutique Couture
1269 Market Street
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 648-5246

David's Bridal
1820 Gunbarrel Rd
Chattanooga, TN
877-923-BRIDE
Website

Ever After Bridal & Formal Wear
251 Inman Street
Cleveland, TN
(423) 478-5493
Website

Food!!!

Impressions Catering
840 Stuart Rd
Cleveland, TN
(423) 614-4051
Website

Costco Wholesale
100 Cobb Parkway
Ringgold, GA
(706) 891-2587
Website

Sticky Fingers
2031 Hamilton Place Blvd
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 265-7333
Website

Destination weddings!!!

Dancing Bear Lodge
132 Applewood Valley Way
Townsend, TN
(800) 369-0111
Website

Fontana Village Resort
300 Woods Rd
Fontana Dam, NC
828.498.2211
Website

Flowers!!!

Grafe Studio
4009 Tennessee Ave.
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 468-4172
Website

Divine Designs
4815 Hixson Pike
Hixson, TN
423.475.6680
Website

Venues!!!

Whitestone Country Inn
1200 Paint Rock Road
Kingston, TN
(865) 376-0113
Website

The Church on Main Street
1601 Rossville Ave.
Chattanooga, TN
423.822.8299
Website

Sunrise Farm
2727 County Road 301
Trenton, GA
(423) 544-0034
Website

The Mill - Event Hall of Chattanooga
1601 Gulf Street Suite 100
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 634-0331
Website

Tennessee RiverPlace
3104 Scenic Waters Lane
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 821-1077
Website

Hunter Museum of American Art
10 Bluff View
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 752-0992
Website

The Well
Chattanooga, TN
423.847.7934
Website

Pot Point Cabin in the Tennessee River Gorge
535 Chestnut St #214
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 266-0314
Website

The General Woods Inn
1346 Deer Head Cone Road
Rising Fawn, GA
(877) 260-9730
Website

Chattanooga Marriott Hotel
2 Carter Plaza
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 308-1087
Website

The Gallery
3918 Dayton Blvd
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 870-2443
Website

DoubleTree Hotel Chattanooga
407 Chestnut Street
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 756-5150
Website

The Walden Club
633 Chestnut St #2100
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 756-6686
Website

Stratton Hall
3146 Broad Street
Chattanooga, TN
423.557.4332
Website

Grandview of See Rock City, Inc
1400 Patten Road
Lookout Mountain, GA
(706) 820-7920
Website

Tennessee Aquarium
One Broad St.
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 265-0695
Website

Wedding Planners!!!

Foxy Events
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 504-4771
Website

Blissful Moments
1219 Brookfield Court
Cleveland, TN
423.650.7098
Website

Veo Weddings & Events
Chattanooga, TN
423.987.7967
Website

DJ!!!

Smooth Operations
Chattanooga, TN
423.368.4265
Website

Sound Force
620 Cherokee Blvd, Suite 102
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 265-7018
Website

With Class LLC
814 Scenic Highway
Lookout Mountain, TN
(423) 314-3094
Website

Lisa Ferguson - Hammer Dulcimer
Signal Mountain, TN
(423) 802-9667
Website

Rentals!

All Occasions Party Rentals

5825 Middle Brook Pike
Knoxville, TN
(800) 489-8331
Website

Luma Designs
865-488-LUMA
Website

White Table
5959 Shallowford Road Suite 329
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 877-2700
Website

Bradley Rentals
336 Grove Avenue SW
Cleveland, TN
(423) 339-0075
Website

Tuxedos!

Eaves Formal Wear
1820 Gunbarrel Rd, Suite 500
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 894-9730
Website

Jos A Bank Clothiers
2100 Hamilton Place Boulevard, Space 239
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 899-2666

Men's Wearhouse
2021 Gunbarrel Road
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 296-4370
Website

Cakes!

B. Sweet Cake Boutique
Dalton, GA
404.713.3072
Website

Publix Supermarkets Inc.
8644 East Brainerd Road
Chattanooga, TN
423.296.1903
Website

GiGi's Cupcakes
1906 Gunbarrel Road
Chattanooga, TN
(423) 468-4803
Website

Invitations & decor!

The Paper Pimpernel
Chattanooga, TN
423.208.7150
Website

Award!!!

2012-01-24T11:38:00.001-05:00

{Chattanooga,TN} – January 24, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce Victoria Mason Photography has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Photography!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Victoria Mason Photography was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

Victoria Mason Photography is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Victoria Mason Photography for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Victoria Mason Photography is one of the very best Photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/victoria-mason-photography-chattanooga/6020b9d45af6875f.html.

To learn more about the Bride's Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation's leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.

###

Abby's Bridal session

2012-01-18T15:32:00.001-05:00

This session was in the morning & the colors are sooooooo vibrant & the light was amazing.
Abby rocked! I'm being serious right now! She didn't even hesitate to go outside in the cold! More pictures coming up!!!

The Pinkbook - Chattanooga Pink Bridal Show Preview: Jan 2012

2012-01-18T10:37:00.001-05:00

The Pinkbook - Chattanooga Pink Bridal Show Preview: Jan 2012

Make sure to stop by our booth!!!
We'll have a very good special for all the brides of The Pink Bridal show!!!

Wedding wire!

2012-01-09T20:01:00.001-05:00

woot-woot!

Book with me & you'll get a nice present!

Heidi & Grant

2012-01-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

To go meet Heidi & Grant I had to go to their lake house an hour away. Oh my Goodness little I knew how much it was worth it! We got blessed with the best lighting ever! And you guys rocked! So honored to be part of your wedding & looking forward to it!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

2011-12-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

I Got Featured!!!

2011-12-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

My photography got featured on the Pink Bride Blog!!!
http://www.thepinkbook.com/east-tennessee/blogs/2011/12/20/real-wedding-katy-and-michael/

Elisha's Baby shower!

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Elisha's Baby shower was so freaking stunning! Dr Seuss everywhere! Enjoy!

Green Eggs & Ham were Yummy!!!!

Colored Twizzlers!!!

Pretzel sticks were sooo good!

Sherry & Jeff, wedding

2011-12-10T09:26:00.000-05:00

Sherry & Jeff put so much effort in the wedding, it's just amazing! Love you guys, you are so much fun!!!
The venue looked breathtaking!

Sarah, Ryan & Nate, family session.

2011-12-02T20:51:00.001-05:00

I was so tickled when Sarah emailed me & said that her family will be in town & they want some pictures done. Sure!

I'm so honored to be part of your family. I enjoyed your wedding, you maternity session & now family pictures as well!

Wish you the best of luck & see you next year!

Tired after so many pictures!!!

Jenilee & Jeremy. Wedding, October 8, 2011

2011-11-30T22:33:00.000-05:00

You already saw a fun engagement with Jenilee & Jeremy.
Now I"m a bit behind on showing weddings, so here they are! I had an absolute blast! I have soooo many pictures & it's hard to choose only 15-20 for my blog, but I'll try.

But before I do that, that's what Jenilee advises to all the brides out there:

Try not to stress over things...especially the last week leading up to the big day!! I literally felt like I needed to be sent to the looney bin. Try to Enjoy every minute of it because it all goes by in the blink of an eye. I highly recommend video taping your ceremony...even if you set up the camera yourself and just ask a friend to keep an eye on it. That's what we did and it worked out perfectly. That's when the reality really sank in after we watched the video that we did it....we're married:)

Getting ready at the Stylebar on Walnut Street.

That's how Jenilee & Jeremy's room looked like after their friends decorated it. Sweet Dreams. Or not :)

Vendors:

Venue: ceremony at the Trinity Lutheran Church, reception Doubletree hotel

Dress & shoes: Davids Bridal

Tuxes & bridesmaids' dresses: All Dressed Up

Hair: Stylebar

Make-up: Angela R

Minister: Pastor Gary Schimmer

Wedding planner: Fabulous by Faires

Photographer: Victoria Mason Photography

Cake: Couture Cakes

Caterer: Double Tree Hotel

Flowers: Blue Ivy

Decorations: Party City, Hobby Lobby

Party favors: Magnet Street, Party City, Hobby Lobby

DJ: Sound Force

Teaser:) Heidi & Grant

2011-11-26T01:07:00.001-05:00

Black Friday Specials!

2011-11-25T10:32:00.001-05:00

I got some specials going on!

Get a Christmas session for only $150! Session is 1 hour long, you will get a dvd with 50 edited pictures AND products up to $30 value!

You'll get a perfect family session by your beautiful Christmas tree, in your yard or location of your choice.

Key chains: a set of 2 $15, get a set of 4 for only $25!

Magnets:
2x3.5 - a set of 2 - $15
3x4.5 - a set of 2 - $20 or get a set of 25 for your reception for only $70!!!

Soft Cover Books
5x5, 12 pages - $30
8x8, 12 pages - $40

Teaser:) Heidi & Grant

2011-11-24T14:14:00.001-05:00

Abby & Billy, engagement session

2011-11-14T12:05:00.001-05:00

Abby & Billy are just a whole bunch of fun! Seriously. I couldn't resist & have a video made :)))) The engagement shoot was lots of fun!!! Looking forward to your wedding in January, guys!

And pictures!

Black & white, sepia, Photoshop manipulation.

2011-11-04T23:37:00.000-04:00

I had a meeting with a bride a couple of days ago & she asked me some interesting questions that I thought I will share with you guys.

Do you do black & white photography? Do you make sepia photographs?

I do and I don't. I'm a person of color. Truly. I love color. I love the blue of the sky, I like the green of the leaves, I love the purple of the hydrangeas. Most of the pictures that I do will be in color. However I do convert some pictures to black & white. For me personally BW photo carries emotion only & doesn't need color. That's when you see my pictures in BW.

Same for sepia or any other kind of monochrome pictures.

Do you manipulate pictures in Photoshop to make them look unusual & more interesting?

I certainly use Photoshop. To some degree. However, you'll never see crazy colors & xray effects in my work. I just simply don't like over manipulating. I am a realist & love to see the things the way they are. Our world is so pretty! I don't want to make the grass look like aliens invaded us & spilled acid on it. I might have a desire to make the sky look bluer or retouch to some extent. But I don't like spending hours with each picture.

Here's before/after example: a picture straight from the camera & an edited version:

Go to my website & check out my style. And if you like it, contact me :)

Tina & Allen, sneak peek :)

2011-10-29T23:05:00.002-04:00

It was an absolute blast!!! There's no such a word in the dictionary! That's how great it was!

Halloween wedding at its best!

Couldn't resist to put some pix up immediately :) Tina & Allen, guys, you rocked!
And the cake was so freaking gorgeous!

Katy & Mike's wedding.

2011-10-29T09:34:00.001-04:00

If you are up to an unusual & non-traditional wedding, you will love this wedding. If you adore traditional & classic, I'm sure you'll enjoy it greatly as well. A great mix of gorgeous things! Lots of DIY projects! Sunset! Party!!!

I'm greatly honored to be your photographer!!!

Now you have a look:

Pinterest.... LOVE IT!!!

The veil was so adorable!

Hand made signs are to die for!

Mirrored wall it is :) No photoshop :)

Now Katy said he's going to let me know when she wants to get rid of those shoes.

Sister Carrie & mom Vicki are putting some pictures of Katy & Mike on the mantel. Some of them are from our engagement photo session

Lovely(and tasty) cakes

This wonderful ring bowl from Paloma's Nest.

I absolutely love the idea of putting the cards into this vintage case :)

First look!!!

Do not kiss YET!!!

Ok, now you can kiss.

Love the straws with stripes!

The caterer is truly an artist!

I also loved these small notebooks where guests were sharing their thoughts & giving advice to the newlyweds.

Awesome recyclable party favors! Use it as a glass & the take it home. And your glass will never be lost either!

Right after the ceremony. So freaking gorgeous!!!

After the wedding every flower girl turns into a skeleton.

What tip would you give to brides that plan a wedding?

Do what your heart tells you to do- it's your day and you can't let other people or tradition dictate your wedding. It's so easy to get wrapped up in all of the planning and details (and all of those things are very fun), but at the end of the day, you are marrying your best friend and that is the only thing that matters. Also, choose vendors you trust- we knew a lot of our vendors personally and just let them do what they wanted based on knowing us and our relationship. It took a lot of the stress out of the planning and made it more special for my husband and I to know that people who cared about us were having input into our day as well.

Vendors:

Venue: Manker Patten Tennis Club
Dress: J Crew
Shoes: Badgley Mischka, boots Frye
Suits: Express
Bridesmaid dresses: J Crew

Hair: Renaugia Allmon at Mitchell Roberts Studio and Salon
Make-up: Sarah Crisp at Mitchell Roberts Studio and Salon
Celebrant: Leslie Ashford

Flowers - Julie Tolbert
Wedding planner: Sally Varner

Photographer: Victoria Mason Photography
Videographer: Tim Cofield

Cake: Karen Vessels
Accessories for the cake: Company B from Etsy
Caterer: Swiss Am Catering

Decorations: DIY by Katy herself and Sally. All of the doilies at cake table were made by Katy's Grandmother many many years ago. They also used vintage cake stands and cake servers that family and Katy collected in the months before the wedding.

Party favors: Katy hand stamped all of the name tags that were on the mason jars.

Band: Moon Slew
Honeymoon: A B&B in the Smoky Mountains... with a day trip to Dollywood :)

FAQ: weddings & portrait photography

2011-10-18T08:19:00.000-04:00

From Victoria Mason Photography blog

FAQ updated October 16, 2011.

I would like to post some answers to the questions that my clients often ask. Hopefully that will help us both to get ready for sessions better, feel more comfortable & be funky & fun! Here we go!!!!!

1. What kind of photography do you offer?

Any kind that requires a camera & a brain 2 inches behind it. Yep. I do it all. Different kinds of photography require different equipment & preparation, but so far I haven't had not one singe assignment that I wouldn't do. :)

2. What is the pricing for your photography?

I have 4 different packages for wedding coverage. Send an email to contact@victoriamasonphotography.com the date of your wedding & a little bit of details & I will send you back my pricing info with all the fabulous stuff that I have in store for you :) Or you can just go here: http://victoriamasonphotography.com/products_services & you'll see the pricing.

3. What discounts do you offer?

All of my pricing is very & very reasonable for the products that I offer. I work 100% no matter if it's a small wedding or a big wedding or a small package or a huge package. I put my soul into my work 100% no matter what! All of my clients get a lot of attention & support. And I make sure they are taken care of 100%, not just 40% ;-)

Twice a year, right around Bridal shows you'll see specials on my services. I always reward my Bridal Show brides :)

I also reward my constant clients & their relatives & friends with gift cards. Welcome to the club :)

4. How do I book a date?

Email me & we'll meet & talk about everything!

5. Do you choose the place to take pictures or do bride & groom choose it?

Generally speaking, I help to find options. We talk about the wedding day, the schedule for pictures & I always try to follow it with military precision :) There are a lot of things going on on the wedding day & so little time. So we do need a plan! If you have it, I follow it. If you don't have it, I'll help you make it & then I follow it :)

6. Do you have an assistant?

7. Do you have a second photographer?
Yes. For an extra charge.
A very knowledgeable experienced photographer, not a camera-in-an-auto-mode-kinda-person-pretending-to-be-a-photog :)

8. What if your camera breaks?

I have 250% of necessary equipment that I carry on me(2 cameras, 3-4 lenses, tripod, flashes etc.). Extra equipment stays in the car. My second shooter(if booked) also has 2 cameras & several lenses. So if something happens, we'll have plenty of equipment to cover the wedding.

9. Do we need special time for pictures on our wedding day?

yes! Schedule time for formal pictures with the family. We'll also need time for group pictures with the groomsmen & bridesmaids. And of course just the 2 of you: pretty bride & handsome groom. We want to make sure I have a lot of pictures of 2 of you for the album :)

10. Do you do slide shows?

Oh yes!!! I LLLLLLove slideshows! I make 1 slideshow with the engagement pictures & then 1 more with the pictures from the wedding :) Now I don't put all the pictures in a slideshow with random effects. I carefully build a story following the rhythm of the music, lyrics & dynamics of the pictures. I do have a couple of effects that I use a lot but it's not an automated process. I do slideshows with love & I swear I cry when I finish them. It's really a very emotional thing for me. I make a story out of the photographs.

In the blog all the slideshows are labeled 'Slideshow' in the column on the right of the page.

For those that want to use some slideshow programs, check animoto.com. They are great. I sometimes use them if I have a couple of pix that are just portraits.

11. How many pictures do we get?

That's a hard one :) It usually depends on the amount of time that you book. The more time we have for pictures, the more pictures you get. I can't give an exact number. I don't count when I shoot. But all of the good pictures will be in the online gallery available for order within 3-4 weeks after the wedding. Example: last wedding I did I took about 700 pictures, so did the other photographer(all day wedding). The newlyweds got about 750 pictures on the dvd & online.

12. Do we get a dvd with all pictures?

Yes.

13. Can I order prints?

Sure! In every package I included a print credit :) So with every package you get the number of prints that you want in the size that you like.

14. What if on the wedding day we run late & I want you to stay longer?

I stay as long as you want me to. When the pictures are ready you'll get the adjustment to the invoice that has to be paid before you get the dvd. You'll basically upgrade your package at the same rate that was when you booked. You can look in your contract & you will see the next bigger package, figure out the difference & not worry about that anymore.

Does it happen a lot? - you ask me. All the time!!! And that is absolutely fine with me! I'm going to be there for you as long as you want me too.

15. What is your style of photographing?

That one is a really hard one. It's hard to describe my style. I make sure I have pictures of all the pretty details, of the bride getting ready, of the groom getting ready, ceremony, group pictures, reception & all of the important stuff that's going on on the wedding day. I also dedicate some time to just taking pictures of the bride & the groom. My main goal is to convert the best day of your life into the best memories. That's my style. Now how would you call it?

Jenilee & Jeremy

2011-09-25T22:22:00.001-04:00

You guys absolutely rocked :) I'm so amazed how genuinely you love each other!

Even though I lost my reflector at the photo shoot, that was worth it. Hahahaaa. Ok, ok, I found it afterwards.

So honored to be your wedding photographer in less than 2 weeks! Woot-woot!

Let the edit begin!

2011-09-12T10:17:00.001-04:00

Happy Sunday everyone!

2011-07-31T16:18:00.001-04:00

So far the best day off ever in Creative Discovery Museum & then having a major nap :)
So good to just rest after a difficult week :)

Pink Bridal Show! Woot-Woot!

2011-07-27T00:28:00.000-04:00

I am so happy to be part of the Pink Bridal Show! Last Sunday flew by so fast! I was so excited to talk to all the brides & grooms that I got sad when the show was over. You know, when you are getting ready for a big event you feel so stressed. And then, when the event is over, you feel happy & calm. That's how I felt. Well, at least happy. I didn't not feel calm at all. I was still very excited & couldn't stop doing stuff after the show.

Well anyway, I won't bother you any more with this crazy chit-chat.

The whole purpose of the post is to let you know what vendors were at the show in case you couldn't come.
Well, and show you some pictures how gorgeous it was.

My gorgeous turquoise booth was next to Divine Designs by Amanda. I was so lucky to have these gorgeous flowers next to me all day! :)

On the other side I was extremely lucky to see The White Table. Their pretty linens bring the touchy-feely in me :)

That's the tablecloth I have to have! My favorite color!

Behind me there was a booth of GeriSims.com. You have to see their portfolio! Sheer Drapery & Ceiling Decor is what they do & it looks amaizing! Sonya Holbert also is a wedding & event planner (423.645.0439)

And then you can see(and hear) the fabulous Sound Force. OK, it's a picture of the name of the company projected on the floor:))) hahaha

The 2 photos below is the same room :) It change in exactly 3.5 seconds :)

Talking some more about the florists, there were: Grafe Studio

and also Ruth's Florist & Gifts.

Impressions Catering was right by my side as well, so I made a couple of trips during breaks :)))

Now I'll show some pictures of the wedding planners of the show:
Posh Parties(candy yummy-yummy)

Blissful Moments

Lucy & Ethel's Wedding/Events

423.316.95.93

Venues:

The Gallery(I love this venue!!!)

Lindsay Street Hall

901 Lindsay Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402(423) 755-9111

Chattanooga Marriot

The Mill

Barn Event Center of the Smokies

Sunrise Farm

Residence Inn, Marriot

Tennessee Riverplace

Weddings at the Inn

All Occasions Party Rentals

Eaves

Tiffany Envid, Harpist

National Dance Club

Dresses:

Monica's

Ever After Bridal

David's Bridal

Cakes:
Gigi's Cupcakes. OMG! I'm officially addicted now!

Cup A Dee Cakes

Publix

Katy & Mike, engagement photos

2011-07-19T15:48:00.005-04:00

Katy & Mike wrote a story about their engagement for my blog. I think it is so touching.
I enjoyed taking pictures of you guys!!!

Katy: Last November, while we were walkingaround NYC Mike received a phone call.

Mike: I had startedlooking at rings and the jeweler had told me he would look for stones based onmy parameters and call me when he had some for me to look at.

Katy: He was very abrupt with the person and gotoff the phone quickly.

Mike: Ihad told myself that I would be cool if he called when she was with me, butthat wasn't the case - I panicked and didn't know what to say to him.

Katy: I was curious but he wouldn't say whocalled. Later that evening, he told me he had gone to see a jeweler about aring.

Mike: Itold her that I was thinking about getting a ring and asked if she wanted anyinput and she told me that she trusted me.

Katy: Iwas so happy because I had known from the first couple of days we spenttogether that I wanted to spend forever with him.

Mike: Itwas pretty much like we had known each other forever.

Katy: Well, the holidays rolled around and therewas no proposal....

Mike: Itold her it wasn't going to be at Christmas!

Katy: Iwas wondering if he had forgotten about it!

Mike: Sheactually accused me of not having been serious about it. Funny thing is,I had already gotten the stone picked out and was waiting on the jeweler tocall once the ring was finished. I had bought the ring with the intentionof proposing in April or May, but my father convinced me, why wait?

Katy: OneSaturday morning in January we took our dogs up to Stringer's Ridge for a hike.Before we left, Mike kept saying "Don't you want to shower?"- Ithought he was nuts, as we werejust going to be exercising.

Mike: Whenwe started our hike, she started complaining of her stomach bothering her, so Istarted to panic and kept asking her if she wanted to turn around and gohome.

Katy: SoI was grubby, in hiking clothes, no makeup, not very presentable. We stopped ata place we always stop- it has a beautiful view of downtown Chattanooga.

Mike: Ihad already decided that this was the place.

Katy: Isaid something like, "It's hazy today" and turned to walk away. Mikegrabbed my hand and said "hey, I want to ask you something". I turnedaround and he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. I said"yes!!" (and was blinded by the ring) and we hugged and kissed andour dogs, Buddy and Mr. Pickles barked and ran around us. It was perfect.

Mike: Wecontinued our hike for about ten minutes as I told her the story of how Ipicked her ring until she realized she had to start telling people. Weturned around and started letting everyone know.

Bethenny is here!!!!!

2011-07-16T23:51:00.007-04:00

I am a huge fan of Bethenny Frankel. You could have seen her on Celebrity Apprentice, she came second after Martha Stewart. She was also one of the Housewives of New York on Bravo & later had her own shows 'Bethenny Getting Married' & 'Bethenny Ever After". She is the author of several books: 'Naturally Thin', 'The Skinnygirl Rules', 'A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life'
So of course I couldn't miss the opportunity to see her here in Chattanooga at the She Expo organised by Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Bethenny is such an inspiring business woman, wife & mother! In addition addition to just being awesome & ultra hot. Here are some pix from me. I didn't come to take pictures but I couldn't resist taking my camera with me(& my 300mm lens). I am so happy I went. It was a very nice couple of hours that I spent just doing nothing, admiring Bethenny's talent & getting all kinds of goodies later on. I even found a funky bus track for my son.

So here we go!!!

Before the show:

Bethenny is coming making funny jokes & then doing a funky catwalk :)

Look at people taking pictures with their cell phones :)

Tiffany

2011-07-10T15:51:00.001-04:00

Some pictures for Tiffany

This mini-shoot was inspired by the blog that I adore Everything Turquoise
I've been a reader of the blog & a preacher of turquoise for a long time. I have a lot of decor items in my house that are turquoise. Luckily, a lot of stores started carrying items for homes of this gorgeous color.
And I just decided to make a small contribution to the color of my life. Here is a slideshow & some pictures:

All contents of this blog is copyrighted & belongs to Victoria Mason Photography. You can't copy, reproduce or publish any part of it elsewhere without the author's permission. Sharing the original link leading to this blog is allowed with no limitation.

For publications email contact@victoriamasonphotography.com

Cady, portrait session

2011-06-14T08:58:00.002-04:00

Pretty girl :)

Thank you Cady! I had so much fun!!!

And Cady's boyfriend was my assistant :)))) He helped me fold the flash :) So I decided to take a couple of pix of this nice couple together as well :)

Jennifer & Matt. Meow;)

2011-06-07T11:23:00.000-04:00

Jennifer & Matt are married! Guys, let me just tell you - you are hot! Some pictures are so hot I can't show them here :)
I absolutely enjoyed being a part of your journey to be together forever. You look like a perfect couple to me. Seriously. I wish you the best of luck in your life!

The wedding was absolutely gorgeous. And so were you both!

Vendors:
Photography: Victoria Mason Photography
Second photographer: Atomic Dots Photography
Tuxes: Jos.A Bank and ties from Cheapneckties.com
Bridesmaid dresses: Monica's Bridal
Cake: Sweet Promises
Caterer: Pots and Pans
Wedding planner: Faires Jorges Hester
Venue: The Gallery
Honeymoon: St. James, Jamaica.

First look :) Made me cry too!

Isn't that an awesome topper for the groom's cake?

'Would you like some more cake, babe?'

'Matt, you have to take it off with your teeth!'

Engagement in a garden a la mode

2011-05-24T09:30:00.001-04:00

As a photographer living in a wonderful city of Chattanooga TN, I can't be happy more in spring. Spring is a wonderful time for clearing out my mind(and closet) & generate new ideas. I always start with my tiny-bitty garden(come on people, if I want to call my yard a garden, I can, right?). I love colors. I love flowers. I love photography. And one day I thought that I want to photograph a couple in the garden with all the pretty little things like shovels & baskets & all kinds of random things found in my house & in stores nearby. Most off the props come from flea markets & yard sales, some are bought at TJMaxx & all the flowers come from Lowe's. The whole budget for the props was $50, flowers were about $40, but now I kept all of the flowers in the garden, so they server a dual purpose anyway. Isn't it sweet? That is how you don't make it affordable & gorgeous at the same time :)

Benjamin Jones & Sarah Thomas were my models for this shoot. Ben and Sarah met at Lee University while they were both working in Residential Life. Ben likes to collect comic books, read comic books, and watch comic book movies. Sarah likes to make fun of him for doing so (in a loving manner, of course). She also loves to collect small, furry animals (preferring the real to the stuffed ten out of ten times) and hopes to one day own her own craft business. Ben wants to become a professional writer, either by writing novels of syndicated columns, perhaps even both. Most of all, they want to do it all together, and as of July 2011, that'll be the way it is.

They know how to have fun & be happy together. It was a great pleasure to photograph you guys! I'm also a slideshow freak as you might know, so you'll see a slideshow as well.

Enjoy!

My picture is on the cover of Parent Magazine!!!

2011-04-26T11:56:00.001-04:00

My picture is on the cover! Woohooo! There is also a picture inside that I took in Northside Learning Center :) Happy me.

Huge thanks to Leslie Morris for helping with the shoot in the Learning Center.
Also thank you Elizabeth & Michael Hazlewood for bringing the precious model Brenten :) You son is awesome!

Congrats!!!

Sarah & James, slideshow :))))

2011-04-26T11:01:00.003-04:00

Very classy :)

Awesome people+awesome place= awesome pix :)

All contents of this blog is copyrighted & belongs to Victoria Mason Photography. You can't copy, reproduce or publish any part of it elsewhere without the author's permission. Sharing the original link leading to this blog is allowed with no limitation.
For publications email contact@victoriamasonphotography.com

Sarah & James:)

2011-04-18T21:07:00.002-04:00

I was very tickled to shoot engagement session with Sarah Priest & her fiance James at the Easy Bistro, downtown Chattanooga. The place itself is absolutely amazing. It's classy black & white interior & a touch of purple of the pretty orchids. Who doesn't love real flowers in a restaurant?

How did we decided on the location & idea? Well, it took us a while to get to that. At first we wanted something outdoorsy, plenty of flowers, balloons & funky props. We looked for flowing floral dresses, big hats & bright make up. And then Sarah suggested Audrey Hepburn style black dress & black hat. And I thought immediately: we need to find a retro restaurant. I couldn't think of any place that would satisfy the idea. And my helper Matt(the brides that attended the bridal show remember this handsome man) suggested going to Easy Bistro.

I express my gratitude to Mrs & Mr Niel for letting us in & letting us shoot inside :) Your place is wonderful & the food is absolutely divine. I think I need to get Mahi-Mahi with the delicious asparagus one more time. :)

Any way, let me just show the pictures of the gorgeous couple!!!

Freebie!!!!

2011-04-10T13:22:00.003-04:00

All right, girls & boys, here's the deal. I just got some pretty bushes & flowers to plant. I am planing to have a gardening style photo session. Here are the conditions: has to be scheduled on Monday at 10 or 3, Tue from 10 to 12 or Wed any time from morning to 5. I will provide flowers & tools. You have to get a nice gardening outfit (eg.: HERE), be smiley & fun :)

If you can fit any of those times, contact me ASAP. The first person who contacts me gets it free of charge, plus a cd with 15-20 best pictures.

Sarah's maternity session :)

2011-03-17T20:22:00.000-04:00

This slideshow is one of my favorites :) Makes my eyes fill with tears every time I watch it. Sarah & Ryan, congratulations on the arrival of your precious son, he is such a cutie!

Now let's look as Sarah, when she was 36 weeks pregnant :)

Spring is coming! Time to renew the wardrobe!

2011-03-11T23:21:00.001-05:00

I put my nose in the air & smell it. Hmmm...... Where's good weather & spring sun & all the funny birdies & turtles? Since winter still bites my bones in the mornings when I unload my camera equipment from the car to go on a shoot, I decided to rush the spring myself. New design of the website!!! Oh it is now even prettier!!! And it's very unusual. Now there are tiny previews on the left side of the page as you hover over the picture numbers & a scroll bar at the bottom of the screen :) Love it!!!

Go check it out. Here's a third of a page to tease you :)

A mobile version looks more like the old version of the site so that iPhone owners could look at the website as well. It's HTML based & doesn't require Flash. In simple words - you can check my website on your phone as well.

Belly pictures :)

2011-03-10T20:15:00.006-05:00

Sarah and Ryan are an incredible couple whose wedding I photographed last year. Now they are already parents :) I was honored to take the precious belly pictures of 36-week pregnant Sarah.

Congrats, guys! Your baby is precious :)

Details

2011-03-10T17:49:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love taking pictures of rings & little detail that very few people see. Just look at that colorful garter!

Guess who is there :)))

2011-03-02T15:03:00.000-05:00

A beautiful miniature Sarah with the baby Chamberlain :)

A limited time offer :) "Magnolias in Bloom"

2011-02-27T13:48:00.000-05:00

SAVE $380!

Book you wedding now & get an absolutely free 2-hour bridal session session + a 10x10 book!

Very soon the magnolias will start blooming & make everything look pretty! I have a lot of ideas in mind for a gorgeous session & plenty of locations with beautiful magnolia trees! You will get amazing pictures that will make the best models jealous!

The offer is limited to the first 5 people booking their date. Can't be refunded or substituted.

Print this coupon & win a session with Victoria Mason Photography!

From Victoria Mason Photography blog

Google gets even better.

2011-02-27T08:41:00.000-05:00

A couple of days ago I was on the way to a photoshoot when I heard on the radio that Google.com now has an incredible thing for the brides - you can now have a very pretty wedding website incorporated with Picasa for sharing your pictures, Picnik for some minor picture edits, Google Docs etc. All in one place!
That is very good news for Android phone users because you can make notes in just a second!

Go check it out at http://www.google.com/weddings/

picture is taken from http://www.google.com/weddings/

Dream Session winner!!!!!

2011-02-20T12:44:00.001-05:00

First I would like to thank everyone who participated in the Dream Session Contest! Girls, your comments touched my heart! I am very happy for all of you, looks like you have got wonderful relationship with your partner in life.

3. Joy Beth Koan, Sara Wilcox and Emily Gavlick with a $40 Gift Card off any session. Thank you for participation!

2. I also decided to reward Fawn Hatfield, Hannah Leilani Jones, Jessica Nelson and Sarah Rose Hardy Kirk with a $200 Gift Card towards any wedding package or $60 off a two hour portrait session.

1. And the WINNER of the Dream Session is.... ta-ta-da... Sarah Priest!!!! You get a Dream Session for absolutely free! Please contact me to discuss the details & schedule the shoot. We'll have a lot of fun!!!

Stay tuned! I'll have a lot of fun spring specials :)

Bridal Show :)

2011-02-08T22:19:00.001-05:00

Dear friends,
I was very honored to be part of the Chattanooga Bridal Show! I was extremely happy to see so many happy people in one day!

Very soon I'll be sending the information about the Dream Session. The email is already fully designed, I just need to get the contacts together. So keep in touch :)

Suzanna & Dennis.

2011-02-02T23:14:00.000-05:00

It was a pleasure shooting Suzanna & Dennis. Now let me tell you. See the happy faces on the pictures outside? OMG it was soooo cold! Poor girls were freezing! I'm still surprised that they didn't smack me or Serge :))) hahahaha

I was shooting the guys first. And that blue car is still in my dreams every day.

Then we ran the guys off & photographed the girls.

Suzanna & Dennis's ceremony was in Chattanooga Wedding Chapel. And there's a very pretty staircase in the building. Looks like an old castle.

Did I tell you that on top of being freezing it was windy as well?

The cake topper was custom designed. It was very pretty! I manages to capture all the pretty details with my macro lens.

Messy!!!

VictoriaMasonPhotography.com

Tips for the bride :)

2011-01-05T13:51:00.000-05:00

When you are a bride, you get ready for the wedding, right. The same way when you are going to be photographed, you need to do your homework. Just like the photographer does his(or hers).
What? Are you kidding? I’m a client & have to get ready for the session? YES. You will like the process & the result much better :)

When you watch ‘Mentalist’ in the evening & look at Patrick (actor), you definitely think he’s hot. Oh yes, I agree. But I know for sure that he has professional makeup on, his hair is done & he had a good night’s sleep.

So here are some tips & tricks that make life of a photographer easier & make the pictures beautiful naturally.

Use a professional makeup artist. No friend or sister can do that as good unless they’ve been professionally doing that for years.

You need to set a makeup trial run & explain to the make up artist what you like & what you’d like to have on the wedding day. Make sure the MUA applies the foundation on your neck, shoulders & decolletage. This is the way to make your head look like it belongs to the body.

Use moisturized lipstick. Keep your lips moisturized throughout the day. Make someone carry a chapstick for the groom. You’ll probably need powder for shiny spots.

No glitter. Under no condition apply glitter to the body. It will show like white spots on the pictures. Also try to avoid makeup with titanium dioxide that’s often used in sunblocks. It can reflect flash & wash out the natural color & the texture of the skin.

No tan lines. Please take care of your shoulders & avoid sun for a few weeks before the wedding. If you are planning to use tanning bed, do that 2 weeks before the wedding. And do not use fake tanning spray. There’s nothing worse for the photographer & ultimately for your wedding pictures than orange face & body.

Get ample sleep. You’ll have a happy day. It should not be a day full of worries. If something goes wrong, let it be. Just enjoy the day & your new relationship. If you get enough rest beforehand, you’ll avoid dark circles under your eyes.

Allow time for photos. No matter how much you love photojournalistic approach(or any-other-fancy-name approach), you’ll need at least 40 minutes for pictures only. If you have a lot of bridesmaids & groomsmen, add additional 30 minutes. I want you to have lots of pictures to frame.

Good location = good photographs. No comments.

Allow budget for a good album. I want you to order canvases, metal murals for your walls and of course an album! See, photography is a tricky thing. Everyone has a camera nowadays. How many gigabytes of pictures do you have on your hard drive? Hmmm. Go check. I’m serious: stop reading & go check. Probably tooooooo many. Now let’s do this. Be honest: how many of them did you see twice? How many of them did you print? How many of them did you show to someone? I’m sure the answer is ’toooooo few’.
So for me photography is both spiritual & material. I want you to have a humongous(hi to Sesame Street) album. Thick pages. Names embossed on the cover. Panoramic spreads that pop & make my heart shrink & start beating twice as fast. And then I’ll go grab Kleenexes.
Wedding is a one time deal. OK. Sometimes 2 time deal. Actually my aunt has been married 4 times(officially). But anyway it doesn’t matter. THIS wedding is important to you. So please save on ‘save a date cards’, get cheaper thank you gifts, buy 50 less yards of bows but get an album instead. Starting this year all the packages I have include an album.

Coming next will be tips how to choose pix for the album, how to plan the location for pictures, how to add some photo pop at the reception & a lot more.

No part of this blog can be copied or reproduced in any other way without the author's permission.

Bridal Show

2011-01-01T12:19:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!!! I hope that everyone made a wish when they had champagne :) I made mine :))) Last year was good. There were a lot of hard times, there were a lot of good times. I expect a lot from the New Year & wish everyone to be happy!

Now a bit of news. On February 6, 2011 there will be Chattanooga Bridal Show at the Convention center. The show is organized by Jacob Marketing Inc. & is known to be the best show for the brides that are getting ready to make a commitment. You'll be able to see the best vendors from the area, book your events with a discount, create bridal registries with different stores & a lot more!

Drop by my booth & you'll have a chance to win a free engagement session. I can also give you free tickets for the show. I have 8 tickets left. :)

VictoriaMasonPhotography.com

Publications

2010-12-20T13:32:00.001-05:00

I thought that I'm behind on showing the pix that got published, but I didn't realize how far behind I was!!! All this Christmas shopping, Christmas songs & Christmas everything is in my head & guess what? My head is not that big! Most of the storage is for photography, my family & books. I'm sure when you read it you'll think: omg, I feel the same way. Yes, I know - holidays are fun when you unwrap the presents or give them to others. Figuring out what to buy - not fun. Where was I? Oh yes, pictures.

OK, since my last post about the publications I got 2 covers of Chattanooga Parent Magazine & some misc stuff inside. Here we go.

Albums, books & other product that will make you happy!

2010-12-11T09:04:00.000-05:00

Well now it's time to show how the final product of your wedding is going to look like. I don't believe in pictures on a dvd, though I give one to all of my clients. I'm a touchy-feely person that loves to have the actual pictures printed, books & albums on a coffee table, frames on the shelves & canvases on the walls. That's what I like. Just think about this: you take the album in your hands, feel how heavy it is, leaf through the thick pages, touch the paper, smell the leather & freshly printed pictures. That's just an amazing feeling of accomplishment that you get. It's not just a book. It's your story. That's the way I feel. That's why I want every couple to have an album.

Now have a look how gorgeous they are!

Mention this blog post & get a free 10x10 suede hard cover book with your 2-hour session.

*not eligible for sessions that are already scheduled.

Dana & Donald

2010-12-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

A very pretty location + a lovely couple = awesome wedding!

I was honored to be a second photographer on Dana & Donald's wedding! I absolutely love working with Atomic Dots. We always have a lot of fun together!

Ceremony & reception: Chester Frost Park
First photographer: Atomic Dots.

Aren't those cupcakes lovely?

Sara & Derrick, fall portraits :)

2010-11-24T10:02:00.001-05:00

Sara & Derrick had their wedding on 10.10.10 & we expected fall colors, but the record summer temperature confused the trees I guess. Anyway, we wanted some pix with the pretty fall colors & here we are in Coolidge Park fooling around & having great time :)

Awesome. No. Like this: AAAAAAAWEEEEEESOME!
My favorite pix & the slideshow :)))

Matt & Jennifer, engagement photoshoot.

2010-11-02T12:43:00.000-04:00

If you think that you can have fun, you know nothing! Because I had a complete blast with Jennifer & Matt last Sunday. It's always amazing, how different people are. They were awesome, funny, jumpy over the roof! I don't think I know enough words to describe what good time we had!

Have a look at my favorite pix & the slideshow. It's extremely dynamic & fun!

Slideshow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rachel & Robert

2010-11-01T11:18:00.000-04:00

The wedding of Rachel & Robert was very special to me. I absolutely love small intimate weddings with just the closest relatives & friends.

Rachel's dress was absolutely stunning! It was very unusual & many people still ask me where she got it. The color of the dress is very pretty. I absolutely lllloooooove the pictures of this fabulous day! Have a look at the slideshow :)

Ceremony: Patten Chapel
Reception: Mayor's Mansion Inn
Second photographer: Atomic Dots

Sara & Derrick. The magical wedding of 10.10.10!!!!

2010-10-26T17:01:00.004-04:00

I'm so in love with Derrick & Sara & their wedding!!! The date itself is already unusual. So was the wedding. The weather was absolutely awesome, everyone was in the greatest mood & everything looked ultra pretty!!!

Here's the slideshow from this wonderful wedding. I hope Sara & Derrick had an awesome honeymoon in Jamaica!

Wedding venue: Marrietta Garden Center.